Lower your power bill and protect from power outages

Traditional grid-tied solar systems only operate when utility power is available. Without energy
storage, a
grid-tied PV solar system shuts down during a power outage. Don’t be left in the dark when you need
power
the most, the addition of batteries and a backup inverter can provide seamless, uninterrupted power for
your
household during an outage while still offsetting your power bill.

Stay energized even when the grid is down

When the grid is available, power produced by your solar system is used by the home and excess energy is
sent into the utility grid. In the event of a power outage the backup inverter will automatically turn
on to
power critical appliances such as the fridge/freezer, lights, well pump, computer, phone and more. The
combination of solar energy and battery storage works seamlessly to provide power to essential
appliances
during an outage, working similar to an off-grid system. A backup gas generator could be incorporated
for an
extra degree of independence to protect against long-term power outages.

Pre-wired and ready to install

All of our Solar plus Storage packages include a complete power center, pre-wired and tested by our
factory-trained technicians at 4 Star Solar. The power center is the heart of the system and includes
the
essential battery-based inverter, capable of providing power from batteries during an outage. We
assemble
and test the inverter with the necessary disconnects and other components required for a safe and
code-compliant installation.

These systems truly combine the best of both worlds, offering the independence and peace-of-mind of
battery
storage combined with the cost-savings of a grid-tied system. Call us today to help determine the best
system for your needs.

Call a Wholesale Solar technician for help sizing these systems. They come with properly sized battery
banks, but we can also customize any system to your specific needs.

There are some people who get into solar power because it is a good thing to do. It's good for the
planet. The use of renewable energy sources reduces our dependence on expensive, polluting fossil fuels
and will leave our grandchildren's children a healthier environment.

But most of us jump in for other reasons. An offgrid solar electric system can make it possible to build
a house on affordable, undeveloped land without the astronomical cost of pulling in utility power.
Urbanites already on utility power like adding gridtie solar because it lowers their electrical bill.

And then there are the pioneer spirited Americans who mainly want independence. They want independence
from bank mortgages and from profit-making utility companies. They want independence from a
grid-connected, debt-ridden culture that uses more than it needs and leaves large segments of the
population in the dark.

But for all of us, once we live with solar power, whatever our initial motivations, we begin to see the
beauty of the system. Solar panels, because they have no moving parts, rarely fail. They keep on
producing, without polluting, for up to 40 years! The sun shines; you have free power. Our children grow
up having an experiential understanding of power production and consumption.

We want more. We begin to want the rest of the package: independence and the satisfaction of knowing that
when the grid goes down our homes are safely powered. This is why we hear back from our gridtie
customers, asking about battery backup options and the potential for converting their gridtie systems to
offgrid.

Gridtie Solar Power Users are Learning

Although there is an initial cost benefit with the lowering of the electrical bill, in the long run, that
bill is never going to go away. And when sun goes away; you have to pay for grid power or use stored
power.

Two factors are leading gridtie solar power users to search for ways to be independent of the grid:

When the grid goes down, so does the gridtied solar power system. All grid tied systems will shut
off during a blackout because these systems are required by law to feature an automatic shut-off
mechanism. These requirements are in place to protect utility workers working on a local line during
a blackout. This is known as an Anti-Islanding requirement.

No matter how much electricity you produce and how well you live within your gridtied solar power
system's capacity, the electric bill never goes to zero! The add-on's keep adding up.